UN chooses Italy to restart global tourism

Rome: Italy has been chosen by the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) as the launching pad for the global ‘Restart Tourism’ drive after the coronavirus lockdowns around the world, reports Italian news agency ANSA.

The UNWTO secretary general Zurab Pololikashvili will visit Italy on July 1 coinciding with the planned reopening of the European Union’s external borders.

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The trip to Italy – the UNWTO’s first destination since the start of this global crisis – will see Pololikashvili visit Milan and Venice. and Rome where Pololikashvili will meet Italy’s foreign minister Luigi Di Maio and culture minister Dario Franceschini, ANSA reports.

Pololikashvili described Italy as “one of our strong allies and a world tourism leader,” adding that Italy’s tourism sector provides millions of jobs, as well as underlining the importance of the country’s “unique cultural heritage, from art to food,” the report said.